Curious if anyone has done the carnivore WOE, especially combining carnivore and bariatric recommendations.

I have had decent success with keto a couple of times, but my sugar cravings always pull me back in. I am hoping carnivore will help me break the addiction.

(I am still pre-op, but will hopefully have RNY mid-2021).

Edited August 19, 20205 yr by orange_lily

Personally, I would focus on something that you can maintain for life. Do you really think you can spend the rest of your life eating meat only and no fruits or vegetables?

Constipation is also a major issue post WLS. I don’t think I could manage mine without a lot of fruits and veggies as part of my diet.

The broad keto would be much better for you. It would be something that could be more easily maintained, and people would less likely fall off that because of less restrictions.

The more you restrict yourself, the more likely you are to want to cave in. A lot of people can't process sugary foods, and you'll get sick if you try to eat too much. Once you are post op, your body will adjust to eating healthy things and want healthy things more often, so maybe you can indulge the sugar craving with something healthy, like fruit.

Also, I agree with colormehappy. You NEED that fiber to go to the bathroom. Constipation is a BIG deal, and it SUCKS. I can finally eat veggies now with every meal, and my bowels are much happier because of it. (TMI, I know)

Gonna stick my neck out here, but you are not a carnivore. A lion is a carnivore, with sharp teeth for tearing meat and a short digestive tract. You have grinding teeth and a long digestive tract. If you restrict your carbs even further, you are only going to crave them more. Building your diet around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes is SOOOOOO much healthier. It gives you the fiber you need, as well as the phytonutrients and vitamins that plant sources are so rich with. When you are getting proper nutrition, cravings stop. Of course , sugar is highly addictive and you absolutely must stop it for at least 3 days to get it out of your system and stop the cravings.

The best thing I ever did preop was to get rid of the addictive substances - sugar, processed foods, artificial colors and flavors, soda, alcohol, and caffeine. I did not have to deal with any of these after surgery, because they were already gone. recovery is hard enough without dealing with cravings and addictions. This is the time to start building healthy habits that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

What a lot of proponents of high protein diets like keto & carnivore omit is that excess protein that your body does not need will be stored as fat. While these diets may work in the short term, they are not sustainable in the long term & may cause health issues.

This weight loss period is perfect for working out what your body truly needs to be healthy & function well, what foods your body can tolerate & what works for your lifestyle in the long term.

My two week pre surgery diet was keto but once I started eating solid foods I modified that diet with my dietician‘s support. Dropped the high fat, added fruit other than just berries, broadened my vegetable options (but still avoid root vegetables), etc. to the more balanced diet it is now.

I’ve tried to cut out a lot of the foods that AZhiker mentioned but have discovered reducing or limiting the intake of sugar, carbs, processed foods, alcohol, etc. works better for my lifestyle. I eat small serves of whole or multi grains but no bread, rice or pasta. I limit my sugar to naturally occurring sugars only, like in fruit, whenever possible & avoid artificial sweeteners whenever possible. (They are the worst as they only feed your sugar cravings.) I go for weeks without alcohol & if I do have a glass, I often don’t finish it.

Good luck. You’ll find the balance that works for you.

1 hour ago, Arabesque said:

What a lot of proponents of high Protein diets like Keto & carnivore omit is that excess protein that your body does not need will be stored as fat. While these diets may work in the short term, they are not sustainable in the long term & may cause health issues.

Thanks, Arabesque. I was not aware that excess protein is stored as fat. I'm currently eating significantly more than the recommended 60g per day and may need to cut back.

i would think if calories are below maintenance level that excess protein would not turn into fat as the body would convert it for use as energy (or for other purposes). There are a number of resources on the web, some say excess converted to fat, others say not. Interesting concept.

https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/can-too-much-protein-make-you-fat/

Hubby and I Carnivore back last Winter and we're doing it again now with great success. I eat mostly protein anyway so it wasn't so hard to avoid carbs as I was used to them in small quantity only anyway. We really like it. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks and he's lost 10 lbs and I've lost maybe 4-5 lbs. He doesn't do it to lose weight. It really regulates his blood sugar (he's diabetic). We eat bacon and pepperoni chips for snacks.

Not to monkey wrench into the works, but are you aware that processed meats have been classified as a Group I (highest risk) carcinogen?